Chapter Two Charlie "His teammates became not only Charlie's welcoming coworkers, but they have taken on the role of caretaker as well. Charlie has more `mothers' looking after him than any one person can handle!" NAME OF WORKER - Charlie Gardner PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: - Mail order production company JOB TITLE: Prepper, Production Department DESCRIPTION OF WORK: Assembly line packaging of doll accessories START DATE: 1994 HOURS PER WEEK: 40 CURRENT HOURLY WAGE: Minimum wage plus benefits TRANSPORTATION: Carpool with coworker, he pays $3.00 per ride JOB COACH SUPPORT NEEDS: Spot check for 30 minutes once per week. WEEKLY SCHEDULE MONDAY - 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. TUESDAY - 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. WEDNESDAY -7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. THURSDAY- 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. FRIDAY-7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. CHARLIE is 33-years-old. When he was in middle school he had a teacher who was a strong advocate for supported employment but never dreamt Charlie would a) qualify or b) demonstrate independence. Nevertheless, when he graduated in 1985 he was referred for supported employment services. Charlie has autism. He depends on routine and will follow it virtually without deviation. He is easily frustrated when change occurs without warning, and he shows frustration by hitting himself on the head very hard (his forehead stays red for several hours). Charlie has, on occasion, been known to hit other people, too. He has a history of bulimic behavior (binging and purging), of stripping in public restrooms to wash himself in the sink, and will yell and scream (often hitting himself, too) if anyone attempts to stop him. Charlie is intolerant of anyone saying "no," "don't," "can't," "stop," or any other negative word. Charlie's first job was at a church where he was a custodial assistant. He received 100% support but job coaches soon learned that he could follow a pictorial schedule of tasks. He earned sub-minimum wages but over the course of 5 years, increased his rate of production to justify minimum wage. Charlie's next job was developed by focusing on Charlie's need for routine and his love of repetitive tasks. This was found in a food preparation position at a family restaurant. The manager was convinced hiring Charlie would make good business sense because she had been paying cooks overtime to do food prep. Charlie quickly learned the tasks involved to prepare 6-8 food items and became independent when a pictorial schedule was made. His coworkers were always understanding and accepting of him even when he exhibited some disruptive behavior, and he even won the "employee of the month" award! Over the next year the supported employment agency faded to daily spot checks, then weekly, and finally monthly. Charlie worked at that restaurant for five years! In fact, at one point he worked at that location in the morning and then took a cab across town and did the same job at another branch of the same chain, too! Charlie was a success! But Charlie's dependency on routine was challenged one day when the storeroom was locked. Usually unlocked, it was locked that day to comply with official policy while the regional manager was visiting. The manager was out running an errand and no one else had the key. Charlie began to get agitated when he could not access his work supplies and began to hit himself. A friendly waitress saw Charlie in distress and went to help him relax. Charlie stopped hitting himself and began to hit her. She lost her balance and fell and Charlie continued to hit her. It took several people, including the regional manager, to separate them. When the manager returned she was horrified to learn what had happened and she felt terrible that he had not left a key with someone. The waitress, who had known Charlie for a long time and understood why he got upset, begged the regional manager not to punish Charlie, but due to company policy Charlie was fired from both restaurant locations. Charlie did not handle unemployment well. The supported employment agency's efforts in providing some recreation/leisure time for him failed because a routine could not be established. Job development for someone who had just been fired for hitting a coworker was extremely difficult, and with no job immediately in sight, a decision was made for Charlie to attend a local sheltered workshop. After earning over minimum wage at the restaurant (plus stock option benefits) Charlie was earning less than $0.50 per hour. It took almost a year to find him a new job, but when it happened everyone celebrated! Charlie was hired at a plastic injection molding company assembling picture frames for eight hours a day! Prior to his first day, sensitivity training was provided to Charlie's coworkers, emphasizing the importance of phrasing things positively and foreshadowing change. Emphasis was placed on his high productivity and his love of repetitive tasks. After three months Charlie received a pay raise and seemed back on schedule with success. The supported employment agency faded support to three spot checks per week. The supported employment agency adjusted job coach support as Charlie's needs and the employer's needs changed. Teamwork and collaboration contributed to this success. Charlie then faced one of the greatest changes of his life. After more than 15 years of living with a foster family he moved into a supported apartment. He was given a lot of advanced notice, participated in packing his belongings, shopping for his apartment needs and had some social opportunities with his new roommate. More success! Several months later Charlie's department at the plant was closed and he was laid off. In order to provide Charlie with the least amount of change under these circumstances immediate plans were made for him to return to the sheltered workshop to help establish a routine for him. He returned there with little problem, even remembering which locker had been his a year earlier. In 1994 the supported employment agency followed up on a lead for a seasonal position at a mail order company. The match was perfect for Charlie. He was hired to work on an assembly line packaging accessories for dolls. For three years arrangements to return to the workshop were made at the end of each season. In 1997 Charlie was offered a permanent, year round position at the mail order company, and he is still there today. Mind you, supporting Charlie is no easy task. The supported employment agency has altered its level of support to Charlie and his employer anytime the need arises. Support levels have ranged back and forth from 8 hours per day for extended lengths of time, to his current level of a weekly spot check. This success is due to the support Charlie receives from his coworkers in the production department, but this, also changes seasonally. Although he is a dedicated and enthusiastic employee, Charlie can appear to be aloof, unfocused, and uninterested in people around him. He cannot say what he did over the weekend, and if pressed, he might gnash his teeth and make it obvious that he would like to be alone. This behavior would squelch any opportunity for friendship building in an instant, but it did not stop the folks in the production department from welcoming Charlie. His teammates became not only Charlie's welcoming coworkers, they have taken on the role of caretaker as well. Charlie has more "mothers" looking after him than any one person can handle! His coworkers have been willing to adjust their speech patterns to accommodate his intolerance of negative words. They make sure he is dressed properly for the temperature changes in the warehouse, and even called his home when they felt his worn tennis shoes needed replacing. They bring him treats for special occasions, and celebrate his birthday both at work and at happy hour after work. A colleague escorted him to the company picnic at the zoo and seven gift-bearing coworkers attended his open house when he moved to a new apartment. As mentioned earlier, supporting Charlie is not easy. He still gets upset. He still hits himself (some weeks this is a daily occurrence). And yet, his coworkers stay near him, acknowledge that he is frustrated, let him know they are there to help him, offering supportive, calming words. And their acceptance of Charlie never wavers. Charlie is the glue in their success as a team at work. Remember that middle school teacher? She has changed jobs over the years and is now a supported employment consultant in Dane County. She could not be happier at how wrong she was about Charlie's future.